Terri Shea has lived a theater life. Her parents acted; her mother became a renowned community theater director and choreographer, and presently runs the highly-praised Framingham High theater program.

It was easy, then, for Shea to gravitate to the stage. She only had to follow her parents to the next rehearsal. She became an exceptional dancer. Shea was head of theater at Ashland High. "That was before I had kids," she said. She’s back to theater now, working with her mother, Donna Wresinski, at Framingham High and directing on her own.

Shea has worked a lot in community theater. Her resume is weighty. "But this," she said, "is my favorite group to work with." Her reasons are powerful. Shea is directing Acton-based Open Door Theater’s production of "Annie" from Jan. 11-19 at RJ Grey Junior High in Acton. For years the group has cast actors with disabilities. "We have in this show a teenager who is blind and someone with cerebral palsy," said Shea.

Lee Woods, 22, is autistic. He’s in the show. His dad, Rick, is playing Daddy Warbucks. "Watching them on stage together is like magic," said Shea. "It’s a good lesson on parenting." Last year, Shea directed Open Door’s "Fiddler on the Roof" and cast the Woods.

Directing actors with disabilities, Shea said, "doesn’t change how I work the show. It reminds me how everyone is an individual. Everyone is doing theater for different reasons."

Each disabled actor is paired up with a "buddy," a cast member who makes sure they pick up their cues and get to their blocking - the right spot - on stage. People with disabilities also perform miscellaneous duties from working backstage to selling refreshments.

Janice Smith has been with Open Door for 31 years. The Concord resident, a volunteer with special needs, has been in shows and worked backstage. She’s handling tickets for "Annie." "I’m a jack of all trades," she said. "I’m there to help out with whatever they need. I’m a people person. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to work with a family-oriented group."

On Jan. 19 an "Annie" noon matinee will be staged for a mostly disabled audience. Shea said that performance has been a hot ticket. John Eldridge of Southborough is the musical director.

Rick Woods went to see friends who were in an Open door show. He got more than he bargained for.

"I saw how they welcomed people with special needs," Rick Woods said. When his son was 18, they were cast in "Tom Sawyer," so this is the third production in which they've shared the Open Door stage. "It’s terrific," said Rick. He has guided his autistic son on stage whenever he could, but Daddy Warbucks is such a big role "I can’t be with him all the time," said Rick. "But he’s made a lot of friends."

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The first time Rick asked Lee if he wanted to be in "Annie" he said no. "Just before auditions I told him ‘this is your last chance.’ He said ‘I’ll do it.’ He’s playing one of the servants in Warbucks’s house."

The cast is huge - 92. "There are 12 with a variety of disabilities," said Rick Woods.

Sam Gould, a lawyer from Boxborough, is Open Door’s president and gets involved with the shows. "Practicing law isn’t nearly as rewarding as putting on makeup for disabled people," she said.

Open Door’s welcome mat for the disabled is a touching, unforgettable experience. "It’s changed my thinking about how theater can change society," said Terri Shea

All the world’s a stage. For everybody.

Open Door Theater performs "Annie" at 7 p.m. on Jan. 11, 12, 18 and 19; and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 13 (with American Sign Language translation) and Jan. 20. A special autism-friendly performance taks place at noon on Jan. 19. Tickets are $12 and all performances are at the Dragonfly Theater, RJ Grey Junior High School, 16 Charter Road, Acton. For tickets and more information, visit www.opendoortheater.org.